Stay in touch to make the sale

Last week, I shared tips to make it easier for a customer to buy when they find you online. But what if your customer is not quite ready to buy? Or what if he/she is waiting for the “go ahead” from the boss? How can you use your website to stay connected?

Provide a way for customers to sign up for more information When I find someone online that I plan to work with (but not immediately), I look for a newsletter sign up so I can get to know them a little better. The Inspired Office is a great example. Kacy smartly includes a simple sign-up form near the top of her home page. This allows her to build her marketing list, which is key to filling her pipeline. List signups can be managed through MailChimp or a similar email service provider. Just remember that newsletters are permission-based. Let your customers sign themselves up (and the double-opt in is the gold standard).

Give them some love I have to admit that when I first added a signup form to my website, I did not make sending a newsletter a priority. I knew that writing it would take time. But once 15 people signed up, I knew I had to act, and once I sent the first newsletter, the rest were pretty easy. If you aren’t talking to your list regularly, you are missing a huge opportunity to sell your services down the road.

Selling to your list We all know that the reason we take the time to write a newsletter is to sell our services. However, I’ve received newsletters where people are only selling, and I find myself annoyed and unsubscribe. I try to provide value first. In providing this value on a regular basis, I benefit by getting to have a conversation with a lot of people via my newsletter, blog, and LinkedIn posts. This not only makes my customers aware of me and my services, but it keeps me top of mind, too. Every once in a while, when I’m holding a special workshop or webinar, I’ll use my newsletter to promote it. However, the main goals of my newsletter are to be of service by providing value, convey my expertise, and stay top of mind.

This morning, a business owner I’m friendly with sent me her newsletter promoting “swag,” which I happen to be in need of right now. I’m speaking at a Rockville Chamber event on June 12 about what every professional service home page should include (let me know if you’d like to come as my free guest!). I just got an estimate from her — I had a need and she was top of mind because I’m on her list. See how it works? Connections work and your list is key. For tips on getting your newsletter started, check out my recent blog post.

Enjoy your holiday and as always, feel free to email me at [email protected] and let me know what you are working on and how I can help.

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